Till graduates at Winchendon

Published 9:36 am Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Ashley Till, daughter of Jennifer Till of Bainbridge Island, was among the 64 graduating seniors who received diplomas at the Winchendon School’s 88th Commencement ceremony on May 30 in Winchendon, Massachusetts.

Head of School John Kerney, in his introductory remarks at commencement, challenged the graduates to demonstrate the trait of courage as they moved on to the next steps in their life journeys.

“As you leave Winchendon, I hope that you will never lose sight of that word. Be courageous to care, for you can make such a difference; be courageous to take risks, to take the path less traveled; and always be courageous to do the right thing.”

Winchendon School alumnus, college graduate, honor student and Maryland Terrapins star basketball player Varun Ram, who was keynote speaker at commencement, added another few traits to the courage story: determination and persistence.

“I’m not the tallest,” he said. “And not the strongest, not even the most skilled player out there, but what has allowed me to excel and separate myself on the court and in the classroom has been my work ethic, my desire to succeed. We all have that ability to succeed at whatever we want, it’s up to us to go out and make it happen. Once you develop a passion or desire, you should stop at nothing to achieve it,” Ram said.